The Politics of Data

3 Credits

Rapid advances in methods of data collection and analysis raise new political questions about how public institutions, the private sector, and individuals produce, use, and share data. This course examines how the emergence of data-driven decision-making is reshaping politics, exploring issues of inclusiveness, equality, privacy, and democratic accountability. We pay particular attention to how new methods of data analysis contribute to the exercise of power. If algorithms are not "neutral," then who is privileged in their use, diffusion and management?